What is Geography?

Geography, at the start of the new century, is a comparatively small but
lively and challenging academic discipline providing a distinctive
approach to many of today's societal problems and issues: economic and
social inequality; cost and quality of health care delivery systems,
urban and suburban growth; efficient transport systems, patterns of food
supply and hunger, health and disease, education and child labor;
environmental and pollution problems; economic
impacts of natural catastrophies (floods, earthquakes), appropriate
utilization of water and energy resources; local and locational
repercussions of new communications technologies; the activities and
behaviors of transnational corporations; and many more.

the perspective of
location and spatial distribution of economic activities, including
questions of "place", "locality", "site and situation" and land use;

the perspective of spatial
interaction and economic dependence and interdependence (exchange, trade,
transportation, migration, information and capital flows, communication
networks and the economic geography of the Internet); and

the perspective of economic change in a spatial context
(regional growth or decline, technological innovation, processes of
structural change [i.e. long-run compositional and interdependence changes
in the economy] regional economic development etc.).

Thus, we draw not only from geographic theory,
explanatory frameworks and analytical methods, but also from economics,
business administration and other disciplines. We are interested
in practical problems and 'real world' issues in the private and
public sectors and try to connect these problems and issues to
established and emerging bodies of theories and methodologies
in order to enhance our understanding and the bases for potential
intervention.

In addition to many remaining similarities, Economic and Business
Geography today looks quite different from what is
was just a few years ago. A much increased emphasis is now placed on
societal and economic facets such as

Communications-related transactions in the space economy, from
face-to-face communication via paper-and-pen to digital, GIS and Internet
based presentation and exchange of information

The differentiation, turbulence and rapid restructuring in the Service
sector

How to run your own small business

The breakdown of traditional boundaries and the surge of
boundary-spanning economic activities and transactions, manifested by
international economic flows, inter-organizational strategic alliances,
and collaboration and teamwork at all levels covering highly
differentiated spatial realms.

The many changes in the nature of jobs and work

The peculiarities of systems of economic activities in rural areas,
urban places and particular 'economic localities'.

Given these relatively new trends, Economic and Business Geography is also
still about

logical, critical and rigorous thinking

numbers, facts and maps, some mathematics and statistics

good and concise writing

interacting with your peers and your instructors

contributing to this discipline, which today, e.g., means
to establish your own Web
site (not just to sit there, with sharpened pencil, passively waiting for
your instructor's stream of wise words...)

Many of our students find employment as research
analysts, resource specialists, regional or location
analysts, planners, economists, or marketing specialists in local,
regional or national public agencies, consulting services, financial
institutions, airlines and other transportation related companies
and in many other types of private sector firms.

A student's undergraduate program in Economic and/or Business
Geography would begin with Geography 207 and require some early
general introductory background in Economics (Econ. 200/201).
Students are then encouraged to formulate their own more specialized
programs depending on their interests and select courses accordingly
and with the advice from faculty and advisors.

Economic Geography
Research Group (EGRG [U.K.])...
aims to foster research and its
dissemination in economic geography by organising meetings, developing
contact and cooperation among geographers and
other social scientists, and promoting the publication of research.
The web pages include details about the group, prizes,
links to other sites which may interest EGRG members, conferences
organised by the group and EGRG Newsletters.

This is the largest department at the school. Teaching is provided at
both MSc and PhD levels. The marketing programme gives students the
opportunity to specialize in one of three areas: marketing management,
international marketing, and services marketing and management. The
programme in corporate geography emphasizes areas such as logistics,
transportation, GIS and international distribution.

Principles of Economics - Micro
Economics is the study of the choices people make and the actions they
take in order to make the best use of scarce resources to fulfill their
wants and needs. This course is an
introduction to the basic principles of microeconomics,
which analyzes the choices and
actions of the individual parts of the economy -
households, firms, and the government.
The other main branch of economics is called
macroeconomics, which is the study of
economic aggregates, and as such, attempts to understand
phenomena like unemployment, inflation, and economic growth.